Control for hand brakes



Nov. 14, 1939. A. L. JoHNsoN 2,180,209

v nommer.. Fon Ammm BRAKES 'x FildrAug. s. 1936 2 sheets-snee; v'1

vlimsi 1 A/V/'n L. .Jo/m500 Nov. l`4'l93'9 I vA, L, JQHNSON l `,12,180,209

CONTROL FOR HAND BRAKES Filed Aug. e, 193e 2 Sheets-sheet 2 l .f4/Vm L. Jo/1060 Patented Nov. 14,1939

@l andin the other case the. brake wm b egst.

Ame' can Forging inventionfrela automobiles and more' fpartic of the hand'brake; 4

.hand brake controlwhereby he hand brake may'bejeasily-liand dily l for parking purposesjorj.; forfrunningI ur -so that in onev case :the brakewill-'remaif set;

` whatever'extent the handlers temporarily 1 Detaiis'and mirpbjcts of the-invention fwiu.

appear as the description pi'ocedsl i' In the accompanying drawings'l formingk a par of the instrument board with control means'bemfbodying my invention; Fig..2 is a detail vieviyv of the control button on the instrument board;

Fig. 3 is adetail sectionon the line 3-3fo'f.Ii -g 1; Fig. 4 is a section similar toFlg. 3, but showin thev parts in a qifrerentposiuon; Fig-5 isp, demi j sectionon the line 55ofFig.` 1; Fig.v6 is adia 25 grammatic View of .a handbrake lever pivoteclI -be-k. 1 low the oor board ofthe automobile,aridhaving ;a control embodying my inventiomlig'.v 7 isy adetail view of the controlbutton employedwith the-,411

' form .of brake .shown in Fig. 6'; Fig. 8 is la detailv 30 view on the 'line 8 8 o! Fig. 7, and Fig. 9 isiafvde-A tall yiew on the line 9 9 of Fig. 6.`

In the forni vof apparatus disclosed'inf- 1 to 5, inclusive, there` isa hand lirallzedever` III ,'pivoted at II -to albracket I2/mountedgin stationaryposition'back of theinstrument board I3." Pivoted to the' lever I I) at Il there-is a'rod I5.v

`which is connected by anyfusual or suitable Y means, such asv a `cable or rod, to the brake. A

spring I6 attached tov lever'xi and bracket I2 40 normally holds the lever in its-non-braking position shown in Fig. 1. l i v Projecting from bracket I2, there is arhorseshoe shaped bracket Il through'the legs ofwhich'` the rod I5 is passedv andin'which it has bearing.

Between the two legs of the bracket I'I there is hich is plvoted at I9 in the' U-shaped bracket and which a locking 'member I8 closed end of th has an opening 20 therethrough for rod I5. Locking member I8 is also provided with an opening 2I through which there passes a rodV 22 connected to control button 23 on the instrumentr board. In the form shown, there isy interposed a. nexible portion 2 4 to act as .a universal joint in rod 22. A nut 25 isthreaded at 26 upon rod u 22 between the locking `member` I8 andthe rear itlis shown OFFICE g ed, et.

memberflli andl nut 25 ot dedbetweenlocking Tvof the U-shaped ppara'tus thus fiar disy T l ausing it to y Under hesfefcircumstances, .15. oiled tothe' left, `as viewed slides ithrough'locking'member 'I8 w Llever.` vI'II'is released, the locking v memberzfigisjbiasedfbackfto the position in which x1ig.;l3'and` cramps rod -I5 so'that' 20 the rdeanbtislvidefbcitd the right.v 'I desiredtoreiease thebrak'e'which c iuringf;y parking, the control button isturned,inthedirection indicated .bythe arrow foiV turning. v"it-to run position, and this moves 25 nut12-5 from they position inl which it is shown in Figfglto the-'positionin. which it is shown 1n Fig.'l .4,fthereby" compressing spring 28H.A Therezattera', pull on liever I0v releasesfthe stress upon the lockingf'memberand compressed spring 26"" 30y biasesgitfback against spring 21 .so that itwill no 'longer craxnponxrd I5. v Whenl thelever. isv

again"release`d;{ spring vI6 returns it to its original Vnon?brakingposition; V While `the control button f .t

is inthis ,run position, the brake handle 'Hi 35` may be manipulated, if desired, asa temporary emergency-or service brake, braking .the cai` only so long as'theoperatorv exerts pressure on lever III yandl'p'romptlyreleasingthe brake when .the Y.

handleisrele'ase'd. Of course, when it isde- 40 *sire'd' topark.: the control button is turned backY as indicated thereon to bring park uppermost .as-shown in Fig. 2J and this moves the nut 25' 4.back to the position in which it is shown in Fig. 3.

The form'of the. device-*shown in Figs'. 6 to 9` 45 is constructed on the same principles as that previously/described, but is shown 'appliedto a hand brake lever 3,0 which is pivotedv at-:3|"to a Abracket 32 ybeneath the floor boardg33 of an automobile. Shown at v341 is a member-connecting 50 the lever to suitable brake-operating means, not shown. A control rod 35 connected to the lever. f runsthrough openings in a` bracket 36 mounted upon bracket 32. `A spring 31- around rod-'35 and bearing *against bracket 36 normally pulls the 65 sn e ,member 111, ril-spring :sais Y I rod to bias level` 30 to the non-braking position in which it is shown in Fig. 6. i A locking member 38 is pivoted at 33 to bracket 44. In the form shown, wire 42` extends axially into barrel cam 43 and then upward at 45 through a slot 46 in the cam into a slot 41 in bracket 48 mounted upon the instrument board. The barrel cam has attached thereto a control pointer 49 mounted upon the instrument board and movable as indicated to parking or running position.

It will be readily seen that, when the parts are in the position shown in Fig. 9, the locking mem.-

ber 38 will hold the rod 35 to the right as i'ar as it isv moved by lever 30 so that, when the brake is applied for parking purposes; it `willbeheld in applied position by locking member 38 until the control p ointer 49 is moved to lrun posi tion. The movement of the pointer' to run position turns the cam 43 and thereby. moves end 45 to the right and exerts spring pressure upon locking member 38 urging it to the right as viewed in Fig. 8, and thereafter a pull upon the brake lever releases the clamp from rod and permits spring 31 to return the brake lever to its normal non-braking position.` as described in connection withthe form shown in Figs. 1 to 5. While pointer 49 remains in the run position, it will be seen that locking member 38 is held in inactive position so that the brake may be applied temporarily for emergency or service pur- -poses and released at will.

The form of brake control ldisclosed is advantageous because it is very simple and accurate in operation. It allows the brake to be set to the required degree and holds it in exactly the position in which it is set, avoids the excess strain upon the brake, car operator and connecting parts sometimes vnecessitated by the common ratchet control where the brake handle must, be

moved a full notch at a time tohold it in its Y Also, the .control device, whereby set position. the brake is quickly and easily converted from a parking brake to a running brake, vis .a great convenience insures the holdingk o'f the brake in set position when desired and its release when," and only when, desired. The location .of the control member onA the instrument vboardgforv convenient manipulation in starting or parking:

is effected without complicated mechanism,v`

cal details of the constructionwithoutzdeparting from the principle of the invention.v f 1 WhatIclaimis: y

1. In combination, a hand brake-lever for an emergency brake, a rod'r'novable with the lever, a locking member pivoted at one side 'of the rod, said locking member having an opening in which the rod. passes, a spring constantly biasing the locking member in the direction to cramp it upon the rod and lock the rod against movement in brake-releasing direction, a control member movable between "park position and run position, means to retain 'said member in either of said positions until manually moved to theother, and connections from the control remains set to any degree to which the hand lever sets it while the control member is in "park position and the brake is released whenever brake setting stress exerted upon-the hand lever, while the control member is in "run" position, is re- -leased therefrom.

2. InI an automobile having an instrument board andV a hand lever operated emergency brake, locking means operable to lock the brake against release, a manually operable member on the instrument board movable between a park position and a run position, and connections rendering the lock operative when the memberl is in park position and inoperative when the member is in run position, and including an 3. In -an 'automobile having an emergency brake `and an "instrument board, ka hand lever forl setting the brake, `a rod reciprocated longitu-` dinally setting and releasing the brakea locking plate surrounding the rodandpivot'ed at onel -side thereof, a spring normally urging thekplate in the direction to cramp on therod and lock it against-brakefreleasing movement, a member* on the. instrument board, and connections in. cluding helical-groove means and operable by p element for retaining said lock in'either of said positions. i

turning said member in one direction to move the plate to non-locking .position and by turning said member in the otherdirection to permit locking action of -the plate..

4. Apparatus in accordancer with claim 3 andi comprising a nut land -a screw movable within the nut lby the member on the instrument board inoperative when the member and cam are turned for that purpose. 6. Apparatus in accordance-withy claim 3 and in which the hand lever is.v pivoted back` of the f 8. Apparatus 'inl accordance with claim 3 and wherein said connections comprise a spring biased, by movement of the control member to run position, to resist the first said spring.

9. In combination with a hand lever for an emergency brake, a rod connected with the lever,

-a locking memberA pivoted at one side of the rod and having an opening through which the rod y .floorand comprising a iiexible connection ex- `tending from the member to the llocking plate.

passes, a spring constantly biasing the locking member in a direction to crampsarne upon vthe rod and lock the latter against movement to brake releasing position, a control member'movable between park and run positions, means to retain said member in either of saidpositions until manually moved tothe other, connections from the control member for' operating the lock-.- ing member to resist movement thereof including a second spring opposing the rst springmeans associated'with the connection to eiect compression of the second 'spring inflocking direction when the control member is in nm position I /vl to receive the rod, spring means normally-urging `V the member ina direction to cramp it on-the rod and lock the latter against brake releasing v movement, a turnable operating member on the instrument board, means operable by said instrument board member to move the locking. member to nonlocking position, and connections operable upon turning said member on the in strument board in one direction to move the locking member to unlocking position" and byv turning said member on the instrument board in the opposite direction to lock the locking member, said connections including. a helical' portion and a part operable by the connection for 4 moving the helical portion axially thereof.

vboard and a hand lever loperated emergency brake, latching means to latch the brake against release, a manually shiftable member onthe instrument board shiftable irom par ,to"r un 'A positions, and means connecting` the'` manually shiitable member with the latch to render the latter operative when the member iirsliiited to park position and for positively actuating the latter to inoperative position when the memberkis,` shifted in an opposite directiontofrun'posi- 12. m combination with a nana llever/:mf a

, automobile emergency brake, a rod associated' with the lever, a locking plate plvoted atvone side of the rod and having an opening through which the rod passes, a spring constantly biasing the locking plate in a direction to cram'p same upon the rod and lock the latter. against'v movement to brake releasing position.'` manual ing same away from cramping position, and spring means for-moving said hand lever to brake-releasing position.

13. In combination with a hand lever for an automobile emergency brake, a. locking plate connected and arranged to lock said lever against movement, a spring constantly biasing said plate to locking position,.as pring normally opposing said ,first spring, andv vmeans operating through said ysecond Yspring` to cause-movement ofcsaid plate for freeing said.lever.

14. vIncombination with'al hand lever for an automobile emergency brake, a control for said lever, said contrf'il` comprising a relatively movablev lever part, a relativelystationary part, a

r`locking plate -pivoted toone o f` said parts andv havingan opening receiving the Vother part, va springjconstantly biasing said plate to locking positiomasecond springfin lopposed relation to said first spring tending .to resist plate movesaid plateiorfreeing said-lever;

y 15. `In"combination.with a hand lever forl an means` connected to said locking plate for rock-- l*ment tolockin'gpositiom andmeans cooperating `with said secon'dfspring topcause miovement 'of "automobile emergencybraka-a locking memberA v associatedWith` said lever to prevent movement` l' thereof brakereleas'ing direction, anda con- 11. In an automobile having anin'strumentf ltrol for-'saidlocking Vmember including zspringif" kmeans tendingk to Vmove said lockingmembergto locked positior'rpspririg'means tending lIto movesaid locking member,A to. released positionpone., vof said yspring means beingv stronger` tha'njthe ,-othexg and means ,fior ehangmg the eifective'rela i -tive force-of s aid'stronger'spring means,`where" by }'the locking member maybe biasedtowardf either locked position or released position at will; 16; Means as setforth in claim 15 in which said locking member comprises av cramping ele'- I merit frictionally engageable with a cooperating' 'holdingportion tol prevent movement of the lever inV one direction and slidablealong said cooperto move the locking member toward released sition. e ALVIN L. JonNsoN.

- ating holdingvportion vinthe other direction, said l' stronger spring means being that which tends P t 

